the familiar formula of the high school movie is elevated by warmth, humor and remarkable delicacy surrounding the difficulty of being a gay teenager; It's a hugely charming crowd pleaser, an infectiously entertaining coming of age film
Love, Simon is a sweet, slick, broadly appealing YA adaptation; It's also a charmer --- warm, often funny and gently touching, tickling rather than pummeling your tear ducts
a studio-made romantic comedy for teens with a closeted gay protagonist marks an important first, even if the movie is pretty much average in all other respects